Queen

here's a peek at the program copy i wrote for the queen show
at massey hall
in toronto
on saturday april 14
2012
well worth the drive
or the plane ticket
but i digress
please forgive the proper punctuation
and i really didn't mean anything derogatory about coldplay
(that comment was edited out)



Queen. What a perfect name for the band. We've come to just accept Queen. But back in 1973 when they began - they were a left turn for the music business - innovators in silk slacks with an arsenal of layered sounds and songs. Everyone paid attention. And still does. Pull out some of the early albums and listen to the music. It's a bit crazy. Somewhat manic. Frenzied with ports in the storm that soothe. And they were so young. Men in their twenties - putting all of their mojo into the music - as though their lives depended on it. I just don't get that feeling from today's artists. Ya think Coldplay slaves and sweats - foregoing common sense and urgency in order to get a sound that defines greatness? I don't.

Everybody overlooks Freddie's piano playing. He's a genius. We concentrate on his firework vocals and the flash of his personality. But alongside that was a committed musician who spent 10,000 hours honing his craft. The chording on "Bohemian Rhapsody' flows without rules. I've been scouting through old reviews and articles and never once does anyone mention his piano playing. I understand that his ashes were scattered. So next time you hear the lyric "anyway the wind blows" and you're outside and it's a tad breezy - make sure to thank Freddie for his piano playing.

Brian May's guitar sound is a direct result of the life he lives. He's an astrophysicist. It's true. And his guitar playing sounds…cosmic. He plays like he spent his formative years staring at the sky. Once he picked up a guitar, it was as though he used it to talk to the skies. If you look closely at some of the online photos of him - you can see a small satellite lodged in his hair. He's a master musician with the touch of a child. Perfect.

When we first tackled the 'Night at the Opera' album - one word that kept coming up was 'more'. More singers. More guitars. More harmonies. More money. Note for note is expensive when Queen is involved. There have been so many productions and tributes honouring the band, but nothing comes close to what we're about to do. At last count we'll have 44 musicians on stage. This includes a choir. I was a bit frenzied at rehearsals. More. More. Bigger. Thicker. Louder. More. The show at Massey Hall will not only be note for note - cut for cut, it will be perfect. Historic. And at times funny. Because like most British bands - their sense of humour was always in tact.

Classic Albums Live will perform Queen's 'Night at the Opera' at Massey Hall. Now that's what I call a threesome.

Facebook killed the Internet Star

there's something happening here
the CAL site used to get a ton of hits
millions
now you look at the graph
and it sinking faster than you can say tribute band

however
the facebook stats are through the roof
up up and away

it's been a couple years since i put the company up on FB
i resisted for so long
wary of what i don't know
even the 'like' page only went up a few months ago
to this day i don't understand what collecting 'likes' does

anyway
it seems all roads lead to FB
not sure what to do about this
the rebel in me wants to splinter off and do something outside of it
but it would surely prove futile
i mean
look at the dismal attempts i've made at relaunching my forum
we get spammed like crazy
we get very few new members
and there's nothing to say there that we couldn't post on facebook
basically it's just me and johnnie b posting about each others middle aged exploits

i'm going to leave the forum up a little while longer
but i just don't see the point
we're so connected on FB
i get up every morning
grab coffee
and check email
then i check FB
not my forum
i imagine everyone's routine is similar
so why fight it?

i've been working with a cat
who crunches all of my online data
CAL is huge
huge!
we're in a position on google than most companies would pay millions to achieve
and we're grooving on FB with smart stats and cool feedback
even this modest punctuation free blog garners a ton of readers

so
what's it all about alfie?
more postings
more photos
more videos
and more home made movies

and more blogs
if someone wants to guest blog
they just need to email me
and i'll post it
i think that's a good way to stay connected

our CAL page is where people are going to find out where we're playing
agents are using it as a tool for selling more shows
one thing that is really taking off is the 'tout' feature
those little 15 second videos are fun
i'm enjoying that experience

i do want to apologize to all the people that try to friend me on my personal page
that page is pretty much set up for family
and off colour remarks that harken back to a british upbringing
the page is largely CAL free
anyone who has a teenage kid
knows that messaging 'dinners ready'
can be more effective than yelling up the stairs

i get my back up when a mass movement takes place
for someone who lives in crowds -  the irony is not lost on me
FB changed the game
i've been trying to imagine what the next big thing will be
it's like trying to imagine a new colour
it twists your brain around
and you're left comfortably numb

i love meeting people that i've interacted with online
it's like we could instantly fall into a barbecue together
with classic rock on the burner
simmering
pass the foghat

craig martin
february 28, 2012
coffee and yogurt with cracked walnuts

Paul McCartney

i don't think there's another person
in the annals of history
who has a more documented life

every second the beatles were in the studio
tape was running

add the interviews
the concerts
the photographs
the news casts
the hysteria

now couple that with dollars
albums
8 track tapes
cassettes
cds
downloads
guitar hero
merchandise
royalties
concert tickets
soundtracks
movies
dvds
vegas

mush it all together
and you have the world's most popular man
and he is indeed bigger than
dare i say it
ronald mcdonald

mcCartney is the world's greatest composer
the greatest that ever lived

i've been trying to get the band to argue this with me
'what about mozart' they ask
yes - well mozart never sold anywhere near as many albums
'but he lived a cajillion years ago'
yes - but his music is readily available for purchase
but no one buys it
at least not to the extreme that they buy mcCartney stuff
people vote with their dollar
consequently the people have spoken

i listen to mcCartney speak and it sounds like he's singing
everything he says has a 'follow the bouncing ball' quality to it
even his name sounds like a lyric

i can't imagine what his life must be like
everywhere he goes people want a piece of him
and i think he still generates that fanatic kind of 'grab a piece of his hair' hysteria

paul mcCartney is not only the greatest composer in the history of civilization
he's the most documented man ever to live
and the richest musician to ever grace the airwaves

it's a beautiful day to dream
a crisp blue sky
a south wind
lots of squirrels darting about
i'm dreaming that the bold claims i make
will have paul ringing me
and inviting me to tea
and i'd tell him that his band is the one band still on the road
that comes the closest to CAL standards
he'll be put out by this and ask me to leave
and as i'm being shown out
i'll scream 'there's no one better to nurture your legacy paul!'
and with those words echoing
late that night
he'll punch classic albums live into youtube
and quietly mutter to himself
'i think that bloke's onto something'

craig
feb 22, 2012
almonds and coffee

Future Shock

interesting post by a friend of cliftons
he said that CAL is the future of rock n roll
what's not to like about that statement?
i've been thinking about it non stop

i pulled out some old rolling stone magazines from years gone by
the older the artist - the longer they have endured
but if you had a career that launched in the 90s or the 00s
you're already gone
nothing survives
everyone moves on to something new
or something really old

i love the oldies
by that i mean the old rockers who are still out there
remaining vital
performing and still working their instruments
challenging themselves
enduring

i want to be old and playing in a pub
that is a clear and vital part of my retirement plan

the math is sound
the ticking away of moments no matter how dull or exciting is relentless
and one day
all the oldies won't be here
as morbid as it sounds
i plan on attending the funerals of the following people:
bob dylan
mick jagger
paul mcCartney
i've already spoken to my oldest son about this
he said that we'll never get anywhere near the service
i said it didn't matter
he said that i'm nuts

so who's going to take care of their music?
tribute bands and they're ridiculous pandering?
pub singers with drum machines and backing tracks?
one off shows with pooled quasi semi known rock stars
who barely have a connection but are there for the glory of their personal careers?
no
it's us
we're the logical conclusion
CAL is the future of rock n roll

jazz is historical
bluegrass
blues
classical
rockabilly
it's all historical music
and rock n roll is heading that way
the mystery of it is gone

it's easy to write catchy songs
my youngest son's tv watching consists of lots of disney type bands
all of them know how to write a catchy pop song
there's a formula
it's like a how to video
it's the twilight of rock n roll
entropy

CAL is the future of rock n roll
there's something new that will happen
that's inevitable
somewhere in an inner city some young black kid
is plugging something into something
and mixing something with something
and a new music art form will be born
but it won't be rock n roll

and in a few years
all my heroes will be in their 70s
hopefully doing cameo walk ons and special event appearances
but not touring

my life's wish is that they ask us to carry on their torch
hand it down
let us be the librarians
the historians
the caretakers
the documenters
the teachers
the curators
we'll do it with honour and pride
we'll make sure the music and the legacy lives on with grace and cool

i feel like something's rumbling underneath
another changing of the guard
every generation does indeed throw a hero up the pop charts
and every generation grows up - leaving behind a forgotten trail of digital diapers

CAL is the future of rock n roll
spread the word

craig
feb 14 2012
tea and yogurt with honey

A Life in a Day

crazy day
up late
off to a meeting
to meet a couple heavy corporate cats

on my way
on bloor street
and there's braxton hicks
one of the world's greatest sax players
and CAL alumni

i pull up - he hops in the caddy
and we're off to his place
he has a present for me!
the meeting can wait

some background on braxton's present
years ago i'm hosting a party
and my attorney dino is there
i look around the room
and realize that he's a lawyer to everyone in the room
i ask him what it's like to know everyone's secrets
he said it renewed his faith in humanity
that it's our flaws that make us attractive
and without that - we'd be robotic
like star trek next generation

years later i relate that story to braxton

back at braxton's
it's 2:10pm
we're drinking scotch
he hands me my present
it's a painting of the starship enterprise that he painted in grade nine
he took my little story to heart
and i'm deeply touched
the painting is already up on the wall

running late
off to the meeting
with 2 fingers of scotch in me
nice restaurant
and the corporate cats are cool
they care about their jobs
they want to do something different
they have the know how and the infrastructure
i like them
we touch on my selling CAL
it's a valid question

the meeting had lots of other elements
i love that people dream
it ignites things inside me
we conclude feeling up and optimistic

rushing
trampoline class with my youngest
then dinner at a chinese food buffet
a tims to follow
and it's off to the doors rehearsal
the CAL doors band is smart
and exact
and clifton sounds and looks great
happy and strong
a strange headspace to be in when your singing doors
but clifton makes it all work
and flow

before you know it
the doors rehearsal is over and the zep rehearsal is starting
and in a flash there's 12 musicians in the room
and everyone is sparking and hugging and laughing

then it's down to business again
and the new CAL zep band begins unraveling zep 4
with all the mysticism of it in tact
phil naro understands this music
i comment on him needing a bit more 'british' in places
he digs it and wraps himself around the delivery
man this is good

then it's off to the old CAL zep band rehearsal
nicky's back in town
he's in through the out door
and fresh from zep 2 in orlando
and this is a big thing
because this month we have 2 CAL zep bands on the road
and they're both beautiful

back at my house
it's late now
rob phillips drops by to switch a bunch of guitars around
i make chilli and salad
some wine
we put on a doobie brothers album
talk shop
it's relaxing
he leaves with some heavy clothes that don't fit me anymore
watch for bobby and the black velvet blazer

now it's late
and i'm alone
listening to sticky fingers
in two weeks i'll be out of this house
my family house
i sold it to a young family with a nice vibe
time i was on my way

the year ahead is full of change
i think about selling CAL
because i'd be foolish not to consider every possibility
but there's this picture of the starship enterprise hanging on my wall
and there's a feeling i get
when musicians are busy
and working together
that brings life to life
and i realize
that there's no way i'd ever sell CAL

craig
jan 18 2012
red wine and salad scrapings

We Love Lindsay!

we love lindsay clark
she works very very hard
normally someone that worked that hard on things
would be cause for alarm
but lindz is fast and fun
and holds up well when a challenge comes her way

here's a fun quiz i sent her a year or so ago
you can see her wit come through
she plays the same way
there's an assurance about her performances
there's never a worry when lindz is on boards

What has CAL taught you?  Love many, trust few, and always paddle your own canoe.

Is there anything you can't do with your instrument?  Uh, no.  Please don't ask me to elaborate on that; this is a family book. 

Three Albums?  Zep IV, The Wall, Thriller.

Beatles or Stones?  The Who.

What has been your biggest musical challenge?  Boston.  I nearly soiled myself every night with stage fright, but I always won.

Monty Python or Spinal Tap?  Tap.

What is the philosophy of your playing?  Look innocent and keep going.

Favourite album to perform?  The Wall.  It takes me on a real emotional journey each time.

Favourite road story?  Once upon a time, on the Zep IV East Coast tour, Nicky had this binder he kept his lyrics in...

Favourite venue?  Imperial Theatre, Saint John, NB.  I picked up a boyfriend through that place.  I ended up dating the GM's cousin, who lives in Toronto.  It lasted almost a year, and I still consider him to be the one that got away.

Where do you keep your passport?  On me at all times.  You never know when you'll need to make a quick getaway.  (AND I KNOW THIS QUESTION WAS DIRECTED AT ME!)

What's it like working with Craig?  In terms of Craig's energy and enthusiasm, like working with a really really really smart 10-year-old.  Everything new is an exciting adventure to him.  (AND YOU KNOW I SAY THIS WITH LOVE IN MY HEART!)

When did you first hear about CAL?  They advertised the 1st anniversary show, which was The Wall, in NOW magazine, which I normally consider to be a waste of pulp.  I went to the show, loved it, and spent the next 3 years emailing Craig asking him to give me a job.  He obliged me on June 28, 2007.

When are you the happiest?  With lots of work to do, and ample time to get it all done.

Springsteen or Springsteen?   Zeppelin.

What do you hear in your playing that mirrors your life?  In playing as in life, it's all a big puzzle. 
 On me at all times.  You never know when you'll need to make a quick getaway.  (AND I KNOW THIS QUESTION WAS DIRECTED AT ME!)

What's it like working with Craig?  In terms of Craig's energy and enthusiasm, like working with a really really really smart 10-year-old.  Everything new is an exciting adventure to him.  (AND YOU KNOW I SAY THIS WITH LOVE IN MY HEART!)

When did you first hear about CAL?  They advertised the 1st anniversary show, which was The Wall, in NOW magazine, which I normally consider to be a waste of pulp.  I went to the show, loved it, and spent the next 3 years emailing Craig asking him to give me a job.  He obliged me on June 28, 2007.

When are you the happiest?  With lots of work to do, and ample time to get it all done.

Springsteen or Springsteen?   Zeppelin.

What do you hear in your playing that mirrors your life?  In playing as in life, it's all a big puzzle.

Johnnie B

here's a cool story from johnnie b
we've been together for so long

a couple weeks ago
we were in the van in new york
i was in a pissy mood
so was he
and we just started bitching at each other
for no reason
it passed
we ended up laughing about it seconds later
bobby remarked from behind us 'the marriage is back on'
and that's the way it is with us
we're brothers in arms
i would and will always do anything for him
all he ever has to do is ask
he never asks
he's a strong righteous man
a wicked bass player
a husband
a son
a farmer
a father
a friend

the road does things to you
we've been on the road for all of our adult lives
it's what we do
it takes a special person
and john batuszkin is a very special person

here's a story he sent about our beginnings together:

So I'm 22 and living with Mom & Dad - because that's just how it was. I left a band because I'd had it! Now I'm looking for something to do - maybe get involved with another band or go back to the dreaded daytime gig. 

I end up putting out a make shift poster with my number on it -you know the ones you find in laundromats with the little tags of numbers you just tear off - mine had a picture of Mickey Mouse on it.  Low and behold I get a call from this guy - Craig Martin. He asks me if I like the Stones? I politely say "Not really." Yet instead of hanging up he carries on with the questioning. At the end of it we agree that we're going to get together. "Alright," I say to myself, "He sounds like a cool guy."

He arrives at my house, knocks on the door & for some reason I'm giddy like a school girl! (friggin weird). He knocks on the door, looks at me and his first words are "Hey, you're tall! That's great!"  My Mom offers to feed him as soon as he walks in. (Mom's are great)

He walks into my room, looks at my gear, sits down, listens to demo tapes of bands I've been in, looks at me again and says, "Hold on a minute."

He walks out to his car (Burgundy Malibu Estate wagon) fumbles around and returns with an armful of albums and asks  "Can you learn these for Wednesday?" (it's Monday) "We have a gig outside of Montreal on Friday, rehearsal is Wednesday." So I look at him, perplexed and overcome with a fear of losing a gig, and I say "Sure, no problem".

Then I ask "What's the name of the band?"

"The Midnite Ramblers," he replies.

That was the beginning of a great friendship. Now as we push forward into the 9th year with CAL - my 7th - I really don't think things have changed that much. He's out there on the front lines making sure everything that he has sunk into this show is going to be as great as possible, no different than doing the Harbour Inn (Owen Sound) with The Midnite Ramblers on a Friday night!
 START ME UP !!! LEMME GO !!

JB..   

ps: i'll always think of b as a giddy school girl